Japan

Following the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and 10-meter high tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011, AMURT & AMURTEL worked in the coastal towns of Sendai, Tamajo, Shichigahama and Tagajo, serving the elderly by clearing their houses and providing psycho-social programs for the internally displaced people in the camps managed by the local authorities. A large influx of Ananda Marga members from many areas of Japan sacrificed their limited free time to volunteer.

As well as clearing mud and detritus from homes and cleaning parks and beaches, AMURT & AMURTEL ran children’s programs including games and English classes, distributed bicycles to schoolchildren and elderly left grounded by the tsunami, and generally offered emotional support to anyone in need by listening to their stories and plans for the future.